Descartes Systems Group has extended the validation capabilities of SmartLicence, which has been enhanced to accommodate Driver CPC and Digital Tachograph card validation. In September 2009, the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) came into effect in the United Kingdom. It is a qualification...

Descartes Systems Group has extended the validation capabilities of SmartLicence, which has been enhanced to accommodate Driver CPC and Digital Tachograph card validation.

In September 2009, the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) came into effect in the United Kingdom. It is a qualification for professional bus, coach and HGV drivers that was introduced with the aim of improving road safety and helping to maintain high standards of driving.

Under the legislation, drivers must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years to keep their Driver CPC. Fines of up to £1,000 can be administered for driving professionally without it. Driver CPC is also enforced throughout the European Union: if the driver is driving in another EU country, they must hold a valid Driver CPC, unless they have an exemption.

The latest release of Descartes’ SmartLicence provides transport operators with the ability to automatically validate their drivers’ CPC certificates and digital tachograph cards, ensure that they have undertaken all required Driver CPC training, and that they hold a valid driving licence.

SmartLicence conducts checks in accordance with the risk profile of driver, with higher risk drivers receiving more frequent checks. Any changes to the licence – such as new points – are highlighted in standard reports and can be configured as an automated email alert, making it significantly easier for fleet managers to spot issues that need their attention and take appropriate action. All details are checked against the DVLA database and data is handled in accordance with ISO 27001, the international standard for information security management. Managing compliance in this way with electronic data makes sense, saving time and money and minimising the potential for human errors.

“Compliance management technology, such as Descartes’ SmartLicence, helps operators proactively manage their drivers and transport operation and take all reasonable steps to ensure drivers have the necessary licence and CPC,” said Andrew Tavener, Head of Marketing, Descartes Systems UK. “With automated alerts, reports and analysis, they can not only increase the efficacy and efficiency with which any driver infringement issues are addressed, but can also demonstrate to the DVSA evidence of performance and actions taken to deal with areas of non-compliance – which in turn means fewer road-side checks and a better ability to meet increasingly demanding customer expectations.”